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White House Working to Overhaul High-Tech Visa Rules

7 Jun

BIG PLAYBOOK SCOOP — BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT NEW HIGH-TECH VISA RULES (with Morning Shift’s Ted Hesson) — The White House has been quietly working with the Justice Department on overhauling the H-1B program to better adhere to the administration’s “Buy American, Hire American” order, sources told Playbook.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is considering forcing companies seeking employees under the H-1B visa program to advertise the jobs online first and hire U.S. workers before foreigners — even for these high-tech roles. The Trump administration is also discussing reducing the cap and duration for these visas — which would, in effect, make it more costly for companies to bring foreign workers from overseas.

OTHER REGULATIONS include forcing H-1B employers to submit a report every six months on duties performed by the foreign worker. The administration could also seek to cut back “optional practical training,” which currently allows STEM graduates to work in the U.S. for three years after graduation. Justice and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.